Shoulder pad for garments and the like



June 13, 1950 Filed May 31 Patented June 13, 1950 SHOULDER PAD FORGARMENTS AND THE LIKE Ben Skirow and Nathan Skirow, Chicago, Ill.

Application May 31, 1946, Serial No. 673,300

7 Claims.

The present invention relates to garment pads and more particularly topads for use i garment shoulders to impart to the garment a square orhigh shoulder effect.

The practice of using pads in the shoulders of garments to give thesquare or high shoulder effeet is almost universal in the garmentindustry and is almost as old as the industry itself.

It is common practice to shape and mold the shoulder pads by hand usingcotton padding or other fibrous material as a filler with a covering oftailors canvas or similar material, the entire pad being held togetherby stitching. Because the lower arc of the pad is shorter than the upperarc, it is necessary when fashioning a. pad, to

pleat or tuck the material on the lowe side in order to make it conformto shape. The pleats and the tucks thus formed prevent the pad fromassuming a true position on the shoulder and the general result is amisshapen garment.

The present day pads, moreover, being hand fashioned, are not uniform inshape or height and difficulty is experienced by the garmentmanufacturers in obtaining identical eifects in both shoulders. terialpressing on the pads combined with the efiects of the cleaning processsoon compresses the pad filling and the style imparted by themanufacturer is lost.

It is an important object of the present invene tion to obviate theabove difiiculties by providing shoulder pads that are die formed,perfectly smooth on all sides, and completely uniform in shape andheight.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a shoulderpad which will retain its arcuate or lunate shape under allcircumstances and conditions.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method ofconstructing a shoulder: pad which is simple and inexpensive, but whichresults in an improved uniform product capable of retaining its shapeunder ordinary circumstances and conditions.

Numerous objects and advantages will be apparent throughout the progressof the following specifications.

The accompanyingdrawing illustrates a selected embodiment of theinvention and the views therei are as follows:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing proved pad in position on theshoulder.

Fig. 2 is an underneath view with the envelopes folded back to showfelted fibrous layers in stepped relation.

Fig. 3 is a cross section taken on line 3-3 of Fig.4. 7

Fig. 4 is an end view.

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view.

The shoulder pad shown herein for the purthe im- Furthermore, the weightof the mapose of illustrating the present invention comprises aplurality of super-imposed layers of loosely felted fibrous materialIii, substantially shield shaped and of a gradually diminishing size ofwhich there may be any desired number, for instance four. The saidlayers I!) each have at leats one'straight edge l l which are inalinement and the remaining borders of said layers are in steppedrelation to provide a composite padding mass I2 as shown in Fig. 2.

1 The said padding mass l2 together with the resilient filamentous cordl3 which is positioned adjacent to the alined straight edges II isenclosed in a double fabric envelope, the inner envelope l4 beingpreferably tailors canvas or other like material and the outer envelope[5 of felted material or the like and the combined padding mass l2, cordI3 and envelopes i4 and I5 are formed in a pre-heated forming die into ashoulder pad presenting a lunate cross section at the shoulder end andgradually diminishing in cross sectional size toward the opposite end asshown in Fig. 5.

It should be particularly noted that the inner envelope M is of a sizeonly slightly larger than the compositepadding mass l2 and the outerenvelope I5 is substantially greater in areal extent than the innerenvelope I5. It should be further noted that the resilient filamentouscord i3 is positioned mile in the fold of the inner envelope adjacent tothe alined straight edges and is of sufficient length to extend a shortdistance beyond the edges of the outer envelope [5. If de sired theshoulder pad of the present invention may be made with the centermarking groove 6 to facilitate the seating of the pad on the shoulder.

A shoulder pad embodying the principles of the present invention is notrequired to be stitched although a minimum of stitching may be used ii.desired, is always uniform and presents a true seat for the shoulder. Toaccomplish this a method of construction is provided which is ex-- act,simple and inexpensive.

Using any desired number of layers of loosely felted fibrous materialsit which are shield shaped, or a gradually diminishing size and have atleast one straight edge the said layers are superimposed upon eachother, the straight edges being kept in alinement and the remainingborders being in stepped relation as specifically shown in Fig. 2. Theresilient filamentous cord I3 is then placed adjacent the alinedstraight edges and the layers together with the cord are enclosed in thefabric envelope M preferably of tailors canvas or the like which is onlyslightly larger in size than the mass of combined layers In. The filledenvelope is then enclosed in the outer envelope 15 which issubstantially greater in areal extent than the envelope l4 and which maybe of felted material or the like. It is of importance that the cord i3is positioned in the fold of the inner envelope adjacent to the alinedstraight edges and is made to extend a slight distance beyond theoutside border of the outer envelope I5.

Th completed envelope l 5 is then placed in a pre-heated forming die(not shown) ofpredeter mined shape until the pad is permanently formed;The heat of the die causes the sizing in the fabric of the innerenvelope I4 to combine'with the layers of fibrous material to form ab'ond' and'imparts to the resilient filamentous cord l3 a spring-likequality which serves to restore the pad toits lunate form if the pad isdistorted when in use.

If desired the die may be'macle toimpart a center marking ridge asillustrated in the drawings;

The. present invention provides-a shoulder pad which is extremelysimple, inexpensiveto make and yet which obviates all the-defectsheretofore encountered;

Changes may be mad e in the form and con struction without departingfrom thespirit of the invention or sacrificing any" of its advantagesand the right is hereby reserved to makeall changesas fairly; fall.within the scope of the following claims.

What. is claimed. as newand desired tob'e secured'by Letters Patentofthe United States is as follows:;.

1. A shoulder pad for garments and the like comprising. a plurality ofsubstantially shield shaped superimposed layers of resilient material ofgradual. diminishing size arranged in stepped relation to provide acomposite resilient padding mass, a fabric en-velopeenclosing saidpadding mass, the entiresaid padding mass being curved to present alunate cross section at the shoulder end graduallydiminishing in crosssectional size toward the opposite end and a resilient filamentouscordly ing in the fold of the said envelope-at its widest endto maintainthe said paddingmass in its lunate form.

2'; A- shoulder pad for garments and' the like comprising a plurality ofsubstantially shield shaped superimposed layers of loosely feltedfibrous material of gradually diminishing; siz arranged insteppedrelation to provide'a composite resilient padding mass, adoublefabri'c envelope enclosing said padding'mass, theentire'saidpa'dding mass-being curved to presentla lunate cross" section at its Widestend gradually diminishingin cross sectional sizetoward the opposite endanda resilient filamentous cord lying in the fold of theing of thefeltedmater-ial and beingsubst-anti'ally" greater in areal extent thantheinner envelope and a resilient filamentouscord lying in the fold ofthe inner envelope adjacent to the alined straight edges, saidconstruction providing a composite resilientpadding mass which is curvedto present a lunate cross section taken in a' plane parallel to thealin'ed' straight edges and of a" gradually diminishing cross sectionalsize toward" the-opposite end.

4. A shoulder pad for garments and the like comprising a plurality ofsuperimposed layers of substantially shield shaped loosely feltedfibrous material of gradually diminishing size each of which has atleast one straight edge, th several straight edge being in alinement andthe remaining borders of the layers being in stepped relationto'pr'ovide a-composite fibrous padding mass, the said mass being curvedto present a lunate cross section taken in a plane parallel to thealined straight edges and of a gradually diminishing crosssectional sizetoward the opposite end, a canvas envelope to enclose said fibrouspadding mass; a felt envelope larger in areal extent than said canvasenvelope and a resilient filamentous cord l y'i n'g in the foldof thesaid canvas envelope and adjacent" to the. alined' straight edges, saidcord'providing'resiliency'to'keep'and maintainthe pad in its lunateform.

5.- A-Inethod ofmanufacturing a shoulder pad for garmentsand the'like'comprising the steps of enclosing a plurality of superimposed layers ofsubstantially shield shaped loosely felt-ed fibrous material ofgradually diminishin'g-size -in' a fabric envelope, enclosing insaidenvelope, adjacent the widest edges ofsa-idlayers;a:resilientlfilamen-tous cord, placingsaidenvelope inla pre-heatedfo'rm-- ing die: and maintaining said envelope in said forming; die:until: said envelope is permanently shaped".

6. A method-10f. manufacturing" a shoulder'pad for garments and the likecomprising the steps ot forming a composite padding mass by superimposing'a plurality of substantially shield shapedloosely felted layersofv fibrous material or. a gradually' diminishing: size and having atleast one straight edge, alining the several straight edges ofsaidlayers,- the remaining borders thereof being in: stepped1131811011,. enclosing: said fibrous layers in a canvas envelope having.a resilientfilamen tous c'ord placed transversely and encl'osedin' saidcanvas envelope. adjacent to the alined straight edges: of said; layers,enclosing thesai'd canvas envelope in a second fabric envelopewhoseareal extent is substantially greater'than that of the canvas: envelope,thus'formin'g a composite padding-mass and placing the'saidpadding massin junction between said end and bottom .walls and resisting spreadingof. the-meniscoidal points of said end wall.

BEN- SKlR-OW. NATHAN sKIRow;

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the tile ofthis: patent:

UNITED- STATES PATENTS Number Name' Date 1,788,126 Sladdin Jan. 6 1931"$149,806: Gal1ed Mar. 7, 1939 2,172,499 Chassaing Sept. 12, 19392,329,496 Walcoif Sept; 14; 1943 2,403,274 GerSl'i'eli'..- Jilly 2, I946

